[The structure of extracellular heteroglycans in various Cryptococcus species]

Extracellular polysaccharides produced by some Cryptococcus species have been structurally investigated. These polymers have identical core structure, which was found to be alpha-1,3-mannan and different degrees of substitution of mannose in the core by xylose and glucuronic acid residues of side chains and different composition of side chains. Heteropolysaccharide from Cr. humicolus, the simplest one, has the same structure as the Cr. neoformans serotype D capsular polysaccharide. The Cr. skinneri polymer proved to be the most branched among Cryptococcus polysaccharides.